


From Different Walks of Life

by undernightlight



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Cute siblings, F/M, Friendship, Space War, it's cute i promise
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-26
Updated: 2018-07-12
Packaged: 2019-03-09 16:58:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13485834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/undernightlight/pseuds/undernightlight
Summary: After not seeing each other for far too long, Ashley McCoy goes to stay with her brother for a few weeks while he's still studying. She gets more than she bargained for.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy this. I posted this earlier, but it seems to have vanished...so I will post again. I will try and update weekly, but no promises.

He hauled himself up from the couch, taking one last sip of coffee before setting down the mug and answering the phone. “Hello?” His voice came out dry, and he coughed to clear his throat and he repeated himself.

“Hey Leo!” The voice chirped down the line, and he chuckled.

“Ash, hi, must you be so loud.” He smiled as he spoke and his voice carried no hostility, but he heard a forced out gruff nonetheless.

“Yes, I must, it’s been so long; how’s Starfleet? Been in space yet?”

“Don’t even talk to me about space kid,” he said, “But otherwise, the same old stuff, helped deliver a baby the other day though, which was nice, lovely bouncing boy. What about yourself? Whatcha been up to?”

“Ah same old, same old, been keeping myself busy.”

“How’s Harry?”

“...did I not tell you? I guess not.” Her voice dropped for the volume it had been, not a whisper, but quite.

“What happened?”

“It didn’t last.

“Oh gosh, Ash, I’m sorry. I didn’t know” He didn’t know, how was he supposed to? Had it really been that long since they’d talked?

“No, no, it’s fine,” her voice lightening up, though he still felt guilty, “I just thought I must’ve told you. Me and Harry haven’t been together in...almost three months.”

“Three months? Has it really been that long since we spoke? Like, I know we’ve been busy, but three months? Gosh.”

“Yeah, it’s been a long time. He moved out, took a fair bit with him, mind you, but it's been alright, Mom and Dad been super supportive.”

“They knew? Why didn’t they tell me?”

“They probably just thought I already had. It’s not a big deal, don’t worry.” Maybe it wasn’t to her anymore, but this was news to him.

“Alright fine, if you say so. Other than that, how are you?”

“Yeah, I’m good. Like I said, keeping myself busy, started doing art again, thinking about going back to school again.”

“Aren’t you a bit too old for school?”

“Says you who joined Starfleet, like, three years ago? And I’m only eight years younger!”

“...shut up.”

He heard a chuckle down the other end of the line. They didn’t talk as much anymore, and it was kind of sad. Despite the age gap between them, they’d always been close; he was there for her and she was there for him. He remembered times when he was young and heartbroken and as a little, naive chile, she would offer advice that made little sense, but he always valued it, and found that somehow it really did help.

“Hey,” he said, “Why don’t you come stay with me for a while?”

“What?”

“Yeah, I mean, it’d be nice to see you again, and I’ve got loads to catch up on apparently so it makes sense.”

“You sure?”

“If I wasn’t sure, I wouldn’t’ve suggested it, would I?”

“I was just checking, jeez….sure didn’t miss that smart mouth of yours.”

# # # # # #

“Jim, slow down! What’s gotten you all excited?” Bones asked as his friend practically ran away from him.

“Nothing, just in a good mood old man. Is there anything wrong with that?”

“With you, yeah, definitely.”

“Why thank you Bones.”

They were walking back to their dorms in block 10. Bones was very glad the that they didn’t share a room, he was sure Jim would drive him insane, but they were only two flights of stairs away, which definitely had its advantages.

“Jim, slow down, I need to talk to you.”

“Ooooooo, sounds serious,” Kirk mocked.

“I am being serious, listen!”

Jim slowed his pace now, allowing McCoy to comfortably alongside him. He was glad he didn’t have to jog to keep up with him now.

“What is it Bones?” Jim couldn’t see what this possibly could be, but Bones hardly ever said things were serious like this, his tone of voice said everything, so Jim gave him his attention.

“You know my sister I’ve mentioned once or twice?”

“....yeah?”

“Well, she’s coming to stay for a while.”

“What?”

Bones hardly spoke about his family, just in general, Jim didn’t even know his sister’s name, so the fact that she was not only coming to visit, but actually stay a while, really surprised him.

“How long she staying?”

“About 2 weeks, we think. It’ll be nice to see her.”

“I’ll say,” Jim said, wiggling his eyebrows, then dodging an incoming punch to the arm from Bones.

“My sister! That means hands off, or I will kill you!”

“Jeez, alright...if I must…”

“Yeah, you must!”


	2. Reunited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She arrives and can finally see him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy! A second chapter off the bat, and now one every week.

The journey had been long, but she managed. She was clever enough to carry a backpack with immediate entertainment, her sketchpad and pencils close at hand. She was also smart enough to wear comfortable clothes for the long train ride. She was glad that whoever was supposed to sit next to her didn’t arrive in time, and she had the space to herself.

She was excited to see her brother for the first time in...nearly two years? She couldn’t believe it had been that long since they’d been face to face. He’d be home during that time, but she wasn’t anywhere close when he was, and it was rather frustrating. But now, finally, he could see him again, in the flesh, opposed to through a monitor or as a voice down the line. She was also nervous to see him, considering how long it had been; what if he’d changed? Not that there was anything wrong with change, she’d changed herself, but it could take time to get use to. Also, this would be her first time at Starfleet. She’d seen pictures and he’d talked about it so much, but never been there, never seen it, but she knew she’d love it there, if not just for Leo.

Growing up, they were close, despite the age gap. She remembered times when she was younger, and had noone to play with, so he’d sit with her, as a teenage boy, in a tiara and tutu, which really wasn’t his size or colour, and have tea parties with her, instead of going out to actual parties. And she remembered when she wanted to take boxing classes so badly when she was a teen, and their parents said no, said it was too dangerous, but Leonard secretly booked her lessons and took her for over a month, saying they were going the library to study. Eventually, he told their mom. She wasn’t happy, but then understood how much boxing meant to Ashley, so let her continue. She appreciated Leo what what he did.

She got off the train and breathed in the city air. It smelled different, the smell of metal and industry in the air, but it didn’t smell dirty, just different. It told her it was time for a break, to relax and enjoy time with family. But the difficult part came now: trying to find him. She was a few hours early, and knew he’d just be finishing a lesson by the time she made it to the campus. She knew where he’d be, so she would surprise him, but he always had a habit of being unpredictable.

# # # # # # 

“Jim, for someone who just failed a test, you seem awfully happy.”

“Bones, I’m telling you it has to be rigged!”

“I think you need to move on, get a hobby or something.”

“It’s impossible! Why can’t you beat it?”

“The Kobayashi Maru is not meant to be beaten! Or, at least, it’s damn near impossible, and it’s like that for a reason. I still can’t believe you went back for a second go after the disaster of the first.”

“That’s not fair, I didn't know what I was doing.”

“You still don’t know what you’re doing!” He had a point, but Jim decided to ignore than point, and continue walking.

“You could try being supportive, you know?”

“I have better things to do with my time than support you.”

“Like what?”

“Currently, many things, but the most prominent is that my sister will be here soon and I've been too busy galavanting around with you, helping your dumb ass be dumber!”

“Thank you,” Jim said, after Bones had finished his mini rant. Kirk turned to look as his friend but he’d stopped walking a pace or two back.

“Ashley?” He said, more to himself than to anybody stood around, as he saw a young girl stood a way off, looking around, reading the sign post for directions.

“Ashley,” he called when he’d confirmed it was her, and he started making his way over. Ash had heard her name and was looking around for him, as it would only ever be him calling her, and when she found him, she smiled and met him halfway. She let go of her suitcase just as he hoisted her from the ground, spinning her round in his arms, and she laughed at his juvenile action. It had been so long since he’d held his sister that he would savour the moment; he’d missed her more than words would allow. They were both smiling like giddy teenagers, though eventually he put her down, holding onto her hers incase she disappeared.

“I thought you weren’t getting here until later?” He asked, as he took in every detail about her. Her hair was longer, darker too. She’d lost weight, and looked happier, which was most important.

“My train go moved up, so I was early. I would’ve sent you a message, but I wasn’t to surprise you.”

“Well, I sure am surprised.” He picked up again, spinning her once more, before setting her on her feet. He heard a cough from behind him, and saw Jim, just waiting to introduce himself.

“Hi,” he said once Bones had stepped out of the way, “My name’s Jim Kirk, nice to meet you.” He extended his hand to her and she shook with a smile.

“Ashley, the pleasure is mine.”

“That is, Ashley McCoy,” Bone interrupted, “Meaning she’s my sister, also meaning out of bounds for you.”

“I was just saying hi,” defended Jim.

“Yeah, well, for you that can be dangerous, so no, keep your hands to yourself or I’ll kill you.”

“Calm down,” Jim said defending himself. He’d never go there anyway, that’s crossing a line, but Bones’ protective instincts weren’t something Jim had seen before, so it made him smile. She laughed at their odd exchanged; she’d missed her brother’s dry sense of humour, thought sometimes, like this time, she couldn’t tell if he was joking or not.

“I’m glad you’re here,” the older McCoy said to his younger sister, bringing his attention back to her and patting her on the back.

“As am I.”

“You’re lucky,” Jim interrupted, “ We were just heading back to our dorms, otherwise, you might not of caught us.” He gave a wink for good measure: if he was to be murdered, the last thing he’d see was steam pouring out of the doctor’s ears, so it would’ve been worth it.

“Lucky for me, I caught you then.” If Jim was willing to risk murder, then she thought it only fair to risk it as well. Besides, he couldn’t murder both of them. She could feel Leo glaring at her, burrowing into her, but he was funny when he was angry. The only issue being was that he gave as good as he got.

“Lucky for both of us,” Jim said with a smile, before Bones pushed him away, very literally and quite forcefully.

“Let’s head back, shall we?” Leo now said, but it wasn’t really a question, more a statement of action as he grabbed the handle of Ashley’s back and pulled it along behind them as they walked.

On the way back, they caught up, and Jim learnt some new things about them both: there were eight years between them, her being the younger of the two; she always called him Leo from a young age, and he used to hate it, but learnt to embrace it, but only from her; they grew up in a house outside the city, and would spend the days getting into trouble, either together or separately. She told a story of a time that Leo had tried to sneak out of the house when he was seventeen, and she was only nine, and he was almost caught, as she saw him and called out. The only reason he still managed to get away was for him to promise a candy bar to her, which he gave her the next day, as a thank you for keeping quiet. 

Jim enjoyed listening to these stories. Although he would consider Bones to be his best friend, there was limited knowledge that he possessed about his life before Starfleet, other that his wife taking everything from him in their divorce. Jim valued this time more than just as fun joking around, but would value the time as a way of finally getting to know the closest person to him.

Eventually, they reached their building in block 10. They took the elevator up, with Leo and Ash getting off two floors before Jim, and they walked down the hallway to Bones’ apartment.

“I thought you would’ve lived with him?”

“What gave you that impression?”

“I don’t know. I just assumed a lot of people share rooms and stuff, like in university.”

“This ain’t university.”

“Yeah, thanks for that, I hadn’t noticed.”

He rolled his eyes at her, and she decided she deserved it, but still punched his arm as he opened the door.

“Unnecessary,” he said.

“Necessary.”

They stepped inside, and she looked around his apartment. It was nothing lavish or fancy, very simple colours and basic furniture, still with a TV, and a laptop that sat at the dining table. He had a couch against one wall, and his living room and kitchen was one big space. It was nicer than both his and her university accommodations. 

“Nice place,” she said.

“I manage. The bedrooms are down that hallway,” he said, pointing, “And so it the bathroom. You’ll be staying in the room on the left, far left, unless you like sleeping in bathtubs.”

“A bed is fine, thanks.” She knew she’d gotten her sarcasm from him, as much as it annoyed their parents.

She took her bag down the hallway, and into the spare bedroom. It was spacious and simply designed; white and grey walls, metal framed bed and simple furnishings. She could tell this room had never been used, but she didn’t mind.

“Hope this is okay,” Leonard said, leaning against the door frame.

“It’s great, thanks. And thank you for letting me stay; it’s nice to be out of the house. It’s been a while since me and Harry broke up, but it’s still weird.”

“Yeah...I get it.” He walked over and hugged her. Not like before, not big and showy, no spinning, no laughing, no smiles, but hug that was needed between them, a hug needed between siblings. And she hugged him with a smile as was just glad to be there.


	3. Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They meet in the rain, and it's very unexpected.

She was hurrying to get under shelter before she got too wet. A sudden downpour of rain had caught her off guard, and she was nowhere even close to being dressed for this weather; her black jeggings had become wet, making her legs underneath cold, and her hoodie, though the hood gave her hair some shelter, had left her dripping.

She found a shelter, outside one of the building in block 5, and ran under, pulling her hood down, and finding it wasn’t unoccupied like she had first thought.

There was a man inside, tall and stood proper, peering out from under the shelter but staying dry, watching the rain fall. He stood with his hands behind his back in a grey uniform. His fringe was straight cut and brows arched upwards with pointed ears visible; all his featured seemed very defined, she thought. He looked at her, from hearing the splashing her trainers made in the puddles forming on the ground, and she smiled to be polite, but he just went back to watching the sky. She thought little of it, and went and sat down on the metal bench. It was too awkwardly placed to allow her to sit comfortable, so she remained on her feet and leaned against in instead.

“Terrible weather, don’t you think?” She said after a while. She hated silences, especially awkward ones, though it probably wasn’t awkward for him.

“Surely that depends,” he replied, not turning to look at her.

“On what?

“Whether or not you like the rain.” He finally turned to look at her, though his face remained stern, hands behind his back, “Are you a cadet here? I do not recognise your face.”

“No, just visiting family. I’m guessing by your uniform that you are?”

“Not a cadet no, I graduated two years ago.”

“So the grey uniforms are for officers?”

“Yes.”

“What rank are you?”

“Commander.”

“How long did it take for you to reach that?”

“I don’t see how any of this information is relevant to the weather.” His tone had somehow changed, with his facial expression remaining as neutral as it had before; he seemed agitated, yet there were no visual cues as to tell.

“I’m-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.” She gave an apologetic smile, and he turned away. She pushed herself up from the bench and walked to the edge of shelter, holding her hand out, watching and feeling the rain drop onto her palm. She didn’t hate the rain at all, and didn’t really find the weather all that terrible. She liked the rain, but it had caught her off guard, which was when it annoyed her. She liked the warm weather with light rain, where you could wander outside in a t-shirt and umbrella. It was that weather now, but the unexpected downpour had left her slightly cold, but not angry.

“I hope that I have not made you uncomfortable,” he said, and she turned to look at him, finding him looking out across the campus. Only after she had turned to face him, did he turn to face her.

“No,” she replied, “I have a habit of looking into business that isn’t mine, and I apologise.”

“There is nothing for you to apologise for, miss…?”

“Ashley, and definitely, no miss. I think you need some sort of formal qualification to be a miss.”

“Define qualification.”

“I...don’t know. Still, no miss.” He nodded his head once, then returned to look back out, still watching the sky. She chuckled to herself, and he looked briefly at her, confused.

She walked out from under the shelter, and stood in the rain, smiling and looking up to the sky, eyes closed. She liked the rain, it was refreshing. Talking with the Commander had seemed different than talking to anybody else she knew, though she didn’t mind. She liked talking to people, but he wasn’t like most people she spoke to, even just his diction seemed so unique to those she knew, but he spoke in such a confident way that he could say anything and she would trust him, even though he was a stranger; he was commanding yet reserved.

As the rain fell onto her, soaking through her clothes, she heard him speak.

“You’ll get wet.” She didn’t look to him, but his voice came from still under the shelter.

“I know, but I don’t mind, I’m already dripping with rain anyway.”

“But you ran from the rain before, so why doesn’t it bother you now?”

She now turned to look at him, a confused expression across his face. He was stood so straight that she thought if she troed to mimck him she hurt herself, his arms still behind his back, the only things changing about him was his expression. She was quiet for awhile, then smiled at him and spoke.

“Rain is beautiful chaos, don’t you think?” She slightly changed the subject, but the rain always calmed her, and her thoughts followed her mood. She was calm, so peaceful words came to her mind.

“I don’t believe I follow,” he replied.

“It falls from the sky, no question it will, but we never know where,” she began, “It will hit, but it's unpredictable, and nobody knows how long it will last, or the effects it will have, yet we stare at it from our windows, watch it fall with a smile.”

Though her thoughts had little to do with him, or any circumstances, she spoke her mind. Her mind was creative and she always liked poetic speak. He looked on, from his space under the shelter, and pondered what she said. It didn’t make sense, yet somehow, he understood what she meant, at least, he thought he did. His human half side understood something, but his vulcan side became lost at her words. He didn’t want to overthink it, so without thinking at all, he stepped out into the rain; maybe if he felt was she did, the meaning would be clearer to him. She watched as he walked towards her, and stopped a few paces away. He looked up, letting the rain hit him. She continued to watch him embrace the weather: she could see his breaths get deeper and fewer; she could see, every once in awhile, his face twitching when a larger drop of water hit his face; and she saw his body language and facial expression remain the same, making the situation unreadable to her, though he’d clos his eyes for seconds at a time, as if taking in everything from his surrounds.

She studied him further when he didn’t speak; average to strong body structure, quite a bit taller than herself, and he held himself well, like an Admiral, spoke with manners. His strong features were either perfectly complementary to his voice, when he spoke strong and harsh and with power, or they were completely contradictory, when his voice was soft and calm and almost warm. He seemed troubled by something, but she couldn’t tell what it was. He looked at her after moments of letting the fall onto himself.

“I don’t know if I fully understand what you are trying to explain to me,” he said, and she nodded along, “However,” he continued, ”Your interpretation of the rain is...unique.”

She chuckled and looked to the ground, “I suppose that was a compliment, and I’ll take it; thank you.” She looked up at him, and he nodded once, “But I should probably get going,” she said, “But it was nice to meet you, Commander…?”

“Spock.”

“Nice to meet you, Commander Spock.”

And she turned and began to walk , then run, in the direction of block 10, hoping her brother would be back from lessons by now. She chuckled to herself; ‘This is what you get for going and exploring the campus on your own’ she thought.

Spock watched her as she turned and ran. He didn’t move for a few moments, until he could barely see her, and then he turned and walked in the opposite direction. He didn’t have to walk far, as he only needed to get to a building in block 4. He had only originally left to be alone for a while, to clear his mind, and although his plan was interrupted, he didn’t seem to mind too much, but he wasn’t sure why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, going to say this now, Spock may appear a bit OOC, but I find it hard to not break out of his character slightly to progress the story sometimes, but I'll try to keep it as true as possible.


	4. The Bar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for drinks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy!

She ran back to building 10 and rode the elevator up, knocking on her brother’s door, and luckily he answered.

“Jeez, Ash, you’re soaked!”

“Thank you, Leo, I hadn’t noticed,” she said, pushing passed him.

“Hey, hey! Don’t go trailing wet footprints ‘round the place.”

“I’m using your shower, and then I’ll clean up whatever footprints I’ve left, okay?” She called from her bedroom. He didn’t reply, as no matter what he said, she’d have a shower and clean up after. He also didn’t really care, as long as she was happy and didn’t get ill.

She jumped into the shower and the warm water was a sharp contracts from the cold rain outside. She thought about Spock, how strange and different he seemed. She felt like he was hiding something, though she’d had no idea what, but the only other people she’d met that were that reserved, that contained within their own bubbled usually had something to hide, whether it be to protect themselves or others, or simply because they felt no need to share; she had no idea which he may be. She doubted she see him again, considering she wasn’t here for long and the size of the campus, and the fact she knew nothing about him, so she didn’t dwell on it, and she just enjoyed her shower. 

She climbed out after a while and changed into she sleeping attire, shorts and a t-shirt, before towel drying her hair and pulling into a bun to keep it out of her face and out of the way.

“You alright?” Bones asked her when she wandered out, heading to the fridge to get a drink. She noticed he’d taken of his cadet jacket, the bright red one, and had draped it across one of the chairs at the dining table. He’d taken off his boots too, but still wore the red pants and black undershirt.

“Yeah, fine, dried and warmer now.”

“I can imagine. What were you doing out anyway?”

“I went to explore the campus,” she said, taking a gulp, “I couldn't stay cooped up in your apartment all day now, could I?”

“I suppose not. That reminds actually, if the weather lightens up, me and Jim plan on going for drinks? You want to come?”

“Sure, I don't mind, as long as I'm not paying.” He rolled his eyes at her, but nodded his head after.

“Fine, you don't have to pay.”

“Then I'd love to come, thanks Leo.”

“Don't thank me yet, if I'm paying, you're getting the cheapest thing I can buy.”

She pretended to be offended, but the exasperated look he wore on his face made her laugh, which in turn made him smile.

“Come, sit,” he said to her, pointing at the couch across from the chair he sat in. She did as she was told, and brought her drink with her, and set it on the coffee table, “We need to catch up. What’s been happening in your life?”

“Nothing too different I suppose.”

“It might not seem like nothing much has changed for you, but we haven't spoken in three months; that's a long time Ashley.”

“I guess it must seem that way.”

“Yeah, so you've got to walk me through the past three months, step by step.”

# # # # # #

They spend the next few hours talking, catching up with each other, getting something quick to eat and getting ready. They had had quiet music playing in the background while they talked, and they both realised what they had missed: Leonard found out how messy the breakup between Ashley and Harry had been, with him taking more than his fair share of their property, but there was little she could do, when he could afford much better lawyers than her, but that she’d taken up her art again, realising how much she’d missed it, and she found out that he was learning to play piano, because he had always wanted to, ever since listening to old music, and now, when they had some in the academy, he finally had the chance, though it was difficult to find time with his classes and shifts at the hospital. The weather, while they talked, had turned nicer. It was warmer out now, even if it was darker, and the rain had stopped long ago. They also ate something quick, sandwiches mainly, to help with whatever amount of alcohol they would consume; Bones and Jim were both free of lessons for the next day, so they didn't have to worry about dealing with a hangover in any of the lecture halls or labs.

Then they went and got ready. She had had no intentions of partying while she was staying with big bro, so she hadn’t brought much in the way of fancy clothes, but she’d at least look nice and be comfortable; she wore ankle rolled black jeans and an oversized sweatshirt with her university logo in the top, left hand corner. She half tucked it in, but left it loose, and paired the outfit with black laced shoes. She forwent the makeup as that was far more effort than she was willing to commit to, and then took her hair down from the bun, giving it a quick blow dry to rid away and wet patches still remaining.

She left her room and saw her brother stood with Jim waiting for her. They were both dressed in darker clothes: Bones wore dark blue jeans and a black tee, with a leather jacket over top and boots, and Jim wore black jeans and boots, with a grey t-shirt and black denim jacket.

“Looking good boys,” she called, drawing their attention to her.

“Nothing compared to you,” Jim said, earning a punch to the arm from her brother.

“You look nice,” Leo said, “But no flirting with strangers, and that includes Jim!”

“Jim isn't a stranger,” she said.

“Yeah, I'm not a stranger,” he concurred.

“Still, no flirting.”

“Ready to go?” Jim asked. They said yes, and then they left. Ashley asked where they were going, and Jim said to an on-campus bar in block 5, and that it wouldn't take them long to get there. She didn't mind, as she got to talk with both of them on the way.

They reached the bar, and it was crowded, more so than she would of hoped, but she refused to let it ruin her night. She had a...disliking of cramped, crowded places. She wouldn't say she was claustrophobic, but she didn't like feeling confined and contained, especially not by other people. As soon as they had entered, she was hit while a wave of intense heat and humidity, and the sudden change of atmosphere made her slightly light headed for a moment, but Jim saw her sway, and wrapped an arm around her waist to stabilise her as they followed Bones to the bar.

“What do you guys want?”

“Just beer for now,” Jim said, moving his arm back to his side before Bones started shouting at him.

“And for me,” Ashley chimed. It was loud in the bar, with people speaking and shouting and music playing, so she had to nearly shout, despite being right next to him.

“Three beers,” Leo told the barman, who nodded, and grabbed three bottles from a mini fridge under the counter, popping the caps off before handing them over. Bones payed, and they each grabbed a bottle and took a large gulp. Refreshing.

“It's a bit more crowded than I thought it would be,” Jim said.

“You think?” Bones retorted, “You said we could go have a quiet drink.”

“I didn’t know it would be this busy.” Jim tried to defend himself, but Bones didn't seem to buy it.

“It doesn't matter if it's busy,” Ashley said, “Let's just have a good time tonight, okay? Think of it as an official welcome!”

# # # # # # 

They enjoyed themselves, despite the amount of people that were there. Jim started talking to a lovely girl, still a cadet like him, and he actually charmed his way into getting her number. Ashley tried to encourage her brother to go talk to one of the pretty ladies at the bar, but he would shrug her off, then wander away. Some men hit on her, and though she had no interest in them, she wouldn't turn down a free drink here and there. At least none of the men that hit on her were sleazeballs.

After however long it had been, she was ready to go. Jim wanted to stay out a bit longer, and Bones said he’d stay too, to make sure Jim managed to get back, as he was probably more drunk than ideal at that point. She was still fine, and so was Leo, so he gave her the keys to the apartment, and said goodnight to her, staying he'd just crash at Jim’s because he didn't want to have to wake her up to get in. And he needed to stay with Jim, so he didn't decide to bring any girls back with him.

She chuckled at her brother, and thanked him for the keys, before leaving the bar, and walking into the cool night. She guessed that if she hadn't of been stuck in there for so long, she would've been cold, but the night air was refreshing against her hot skin. She began her walk back, but barely got anywhere before she was approached by some men.

“Hey darling,” one said to her, “Thought you looked pretty fine tonight over at the bar.” Clearly they had seen her, but she didn’t recognise any of them, so they weren’t ones that hit on her. She didn’t know if that was better or worse, that they made sure to get her alone before flirting their way over. She ignored them and kept on walking, but they weren’t having her silence as an answer.

“Come on, where you going?” Another said, managing to get in front of her, stopping her from moving forward. She tried to move around, but he just moved to block her path each time. They all walked towards her now, forcing her backwards against a wall. She wished she’d stayed with Leo and Jim now.

“I think you’d be great company for us tonight,” the tallest of the group said. She still didn’t say anything. If it was one guy, then maybe she could take him; she was strong and fought dirty when needed, but she was also clever, she knew she was outnumbered by taller, stronger men. So she remained silent. It was only when one touched her leg, that she slapped that man across the face; he wasn’t happy about it. He grabbed her wrist, slamming it against the bricks above her head and holding it there, learing down into her face, pinning her to the wall.

“You shouldn’t of done that,” he said, practically spitting in her face; his breath was repulsive.

“I would advise you unhand her,” a voice said, and thank God she recognised it. His voice was as calm and confident as it had been earlier that day.

“Or what?” One said, turning to face him, ready to fight.

“Or I will be forced to render you unconscious.” One approached him then, and Spock raised a hand to the man’s neck and shoulder before gripping him tightly, and the man fell the ground. The others, his cronies, felt her alone then, approaching him, clearly ready to fight; one swung at him and he ducked out of the way, his movements sharp and precise. He twisted his body round to the side, grabbing the other one by the shoulder, just like he had with the first man, and he also fell. Though in that time, the one that swung and missed had circled himself back around and swung again, this time making contacts across his face and jaw, and Spock stumbled, falling down onto one knee. Ashley reacted then, only just realised she’d been stood there watching without helping, and she took the brute by surprise, kicking him between the legs. When he keeled over, she took the opportunity to bring her knee up, making contact with his face, before he landed on the floor, curling in on himself and groaning in pain. She moved to help the Commander up, holding onto his arm as he steadied himself on his feet.

“Are you okay?” She asked, concerned as she could already see a bruise forming on the skin.

“Yes, I’m fine, thank you.”

“It’s me that should be thanking you, so thank you Commander.”

“I was in the right place at the right time it seems, there is no need in thanking a coincidence.”

“But you didn’t have to help me, so thank you.”

“Then you are welcome.” He looked at her, and allowed himself to study hre; she was shorted than him, by about half a foot, slightly more, but stood with good posture. Blue eyes and dark hair falling past her shoulders, mid back in length. “Why are you out so last?”

“Me and my brother and a friend all went for drinks down in block 5, and I’m just walking back.”

“Why is your brother and friend?”

“They wanted to stay, so I said I’d be alright walking back on my own, though it seems I almost nearly wasn’t, but at least block 10 isn’t too far.”

“I will walk you back.”

“That really isn’t necessary.”

“Perhaps not, but it does no harm to do so.”

“I suppose not.” She smiled at him, and then started to walk, leaving those men on the ground, allowing them to wake up and move on their own. She was definitely grateful for him willing to walk her back, even though she could’ve managed on her own; she appreciated it and did prefer it to walking back alone.

“It’s quite strange, don’t you think, that we’d run into each other twice in one day?”

“Indeed it is. I would’ve been able to calculate the likelihood of us encountering again, however, there were far too many unknown variables to form a sufficiently accurate conclusion.”

“Nice to know you’ve been thinking about me,” she said with a chuckled, but it was the confusion on his face which allowed a giggle to escape her lips, “It was a joke.” He nodded his head slowly, as if he was trying to convince himself that it was a joke, and he understood why, though Ashley wasn’t convinced. “What about you?” She asked, “What has you out so late?”

“Nothing of occasion, though I found I could not sleep despite lack for trying.”

“I get like that sometimes. A walk can help you relax and it’s nice to just be outside sometimes when few people are, though, if you’re wanting to sleep, the cold air might not help.”

“Your statement may hold some value.” And she chuckled at his statement; he was saying she was right, but it was phrased so formally, thought, from what she could tell, that was just how he spoke; it was strange but refreshing to hear.

“Do I amuse you?” He asked. She couldn’t tell if he was being serious or not, as his expression stayed the same and his voice remained as it was.

“No, no, nothing like that, it’s just...I find I like the way you talk, you speak differently to other people.”

“I am from Vulcan, which would account for the dialectic and vocal differences as well as phrasing and formatting of sentences.”

“I suppose so. May I...ask you a personal question?” He thought about this request; it was a strange one, thought he appreciated her asking him first, instead of assumed he would be willing to.

“You may ask,” he decided, “But depending on how...persona the question is, will depend on whether I give an answer.”

“Do you find it difficult living here? I mean, Earth is so different from Vulcan, so I can’t imagine that adjusting was easy.”

“It was not, and I am still adjusting, though I find that the longer I am here, the more I find myself becoming comfortable.”

“Do you like it here?”

“At times, I do. The planet itself I have not quires with, though it often gets colder that I am used to, however, it is often the people that I have most difficulty with.”

“People?”

“Not everyone, despite this planet being one of the founding of the Federation, still do not accept alien life forms on their planet. For me, it has added difficulty as I am both vulcan and human.”

“Vulcan-human,” she said quietly to herself, like she was running the thought through her mind to see if it made sense. “I’ve never known someone who was both vulcan and human.”

“That is because I am the only one.”

“The only one?

“Yes.”

“How do you manage with people being…” Phrasing the next part of her sentence was hard as she didn’t want to imply something that wasn’t there, and she didn’t want to use the wrong words with such a sensitive situation.

“Are referring to the discrimination I faced when coming to Starfleet?” She slowly nodded her head as he spoke, not wanting to say it aloud. “Being Vulcan allows me to suppress any emotions, so I found dealing with it simple.”

“But what if people didn’t give you equal opportunities? Like, they didn’t give you the chance because of your...mixed heritage.”

“I have found that if I was rejected for a specific opportunity due to my, as you put it, mixed heritage, then I would later prove myself despite this.” She smiled while he remained emotionless, but she saw something in him; he had feelings, she knew that, but like any vulcan, he kept them hidden, but she definitely saw something, something that she hadn’t seen in a vulcan before.

“I admire you,” she said after a few moments of silence, “You were able to just get on with whatever it was that you were doing, and you didn’t let those xenophobic bastards stop you.”

He looked at her, her language and tone turning from soft to harsh and cutting, in what was almost instantaneously midway through the sentence, but he appreciated her views, and the she seemed to somehow understand that it wasn’t easy for him, though he wouldn’t say that, as she was hardly someone to have this conversation with. Or maybe she was.

“Though at times I did struggle, I do not regret my decision to join Starfleet.”

They reached the outside of block 10, and he went to bid her farewell. She noticed the bruise on his face had gotten worse, and she invited him in to see if they had anything in the dorm that would help, prevent swelling, but he declined the invitation, saying it was already far too late and that he must be going.

“Thank you Commander, I appreciate you walking me back.”

“I enjoyed accompanying you.” She chuckled slightly, but smiled genuinely.

“Goodnight Spock.”

“Goodnight Ashley.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Random update. Have to be honest, don't know if I'll ever finish this story, but you know.

She woke up the next morning with a mild headache. She was tempted to stay in bed, but knew if she stayed there much longer, she wouldn’t move all day, so decided it was best to haul herself out of bed. She showered, but didn’t bother getting dressed until she ate breakfast, instead she just wrapped a towel around her body. She wandered out into the kitchen to see that Leonard wasn’t there, which she suspected, as she wasn’t woken up in the night and she had locked the door, so there was no way he could get in.

She wasn’t particularly hungry, so just ate a slice of toast, knowing she would also have to make Leo some when he got back, and quite possible for Jim too, because she knew he’d be drunk as hell. That in mind, she stuck a pot of coffee on the brew, and went to get dressed. She dressed in black leggings with a loose grey t-shirt that had once been her brother’s, but she had ‘borrowed’ and just never returned, so it hung loosely around her frame. She dried her hair and tied it up into a pony to keep it out of her face.

She wasted time around the apartment, waiting for the boys to come down, or at least her brother, and about an hour later of her watching TV and reading, there was a knock on the door, and when she opened it, she saw a tired, slightly hungover Leo, and an exhausted, very hungover James. She moved out the way and they fell in, Bones helping Jim to the couch for him to sit, thought he decided it was best to lay down.

“Fun night?” She asked, but neither answer. It was only when she mentioned that there was coffee brewing for them that she got any response.

“How much can I drink?” Jim asked, pulling himself up.

“As much as you want.” He gave a lazy smile in response, and stood, swaying slightly as he made his way towards the kitchen to retrieve a mug from the cupboard. He stood in front of the coffee maker, waiting for it to beep, and as soon as the coffee was ready, he was pouring a mug full, adding milk and sugar, and gulping it down.

“You’ll burn yourself, you idiot, slow down,” she said, but he didn’t seem to hear or care, because he kept drinking. She just shuck her head, but smiled. Bones went and grabbed a mug, pouring himself some before Jim could drink it all.

“You want any?” He asked, but she replied no, that she was fine and they needed it far more, or more specifically, he needed more.

“Want to do us a favour, if you’re not busy?” Leo asked.

“No, I’ve just been waiting around for you to get back.”

“Do you mind going to the shop?”

“Yeah, sure, what do you need?”

He wrote a list of things to pick up, as she pulled on her trainers which had dried from the previous day, and gave her enough money for them all, and some extra to treat herself to something. She thanked him, and headed out. She was grateful for warm weather recently, so opted for only a light jacket, sticking the list and money into the pocket.

As she walked, she thought about last night and debated whether she should tell her brother about those men, those creatures, that tried to get frisky with her, but she didn’t want to worry him and she didn’t want to deal with super protective big brother Loe like she had to when she was in her teens years, so she decided against it, thought she would find a way to report this to Starfleet so they can find the cadets and deal with them accordingly, not for her sake, but for others.

She didn't know how long she had been walking, but it was as she was approaching block 6, she heard a voice call out to her.

“Miss Ashley,” she heard, and she turned to see Commanded Spock headed in her direction. She stopped and waited for him, “Good morning,” he said when he reached her. He looked much better than he had last night, in full officer uniform, cap held by his side as he walked. She saw when he was closer that the bruise on his face has almost completely gone overnight, which she supposed was due to his high metabolism.

“And good morning to you, though, I have told you not to call me miss.”

“Apologies. May I walk with you?” He asked. She said he could, and they began walking again.

“Do you believe in fate Commander?” She asked after a while.

“I cannot say that I do, why do you ask?”

“It's just, I've been here three days, and I've ran into you three times, twice yesterday alone. It seems rather...strange, don't you think?”

“I agree it is peculiar, however, completely plausible.”

“Must just be a coincidence,” she said, though she was happy with these coincidences. Though she didn’t really know him, he seemed nice, easy to talk to in a way she couldn’t describe; he spoke of things differently, like an outsider looking in on the world, and though she didn’t know what that meant for him, it meant that when he spoke, he sounded like a writer reading their stories allowed, and every word fell into place perfectly. “Where you heading?” She asked, not wanted their conversation to be over so soon.

“Block 1. I am involved in a meeting today with a handful of senior officers, and yourself?”

“I’m walking the shops for my brother. He needed stuff picked up and he was too lazy to do it himself, so I thought I’d be nice and help him out.”

“Are you going to the shop in block 5?”

“I didn’t know there were any.”

“Yes; block 5 handles any and all recreations, including shops, bars, a cinema and cadet access athletic centre.”

“Wow, fancy. I didn’t know Starfleet had all this stuff.”

“As nearly all officers and cadets that attend the Academy live here, there are many recreational facilities made available.”

“Yeah, makes sense actually.”

“Indeed. I do believe that was the idea behind it,” he replied. She was convinced that sarcasm was an emotional response, and she looked to him to see he wore his standard expression, so maybe he did so without realising, but she smiled anyway. “Now, with the knowledge that there are food stores within the Academy, do you intend on going to them?”

“Yeah, that’s probably a better idea as I have no idea how to get around the city or where anything is.”

“Then you should turn around, as we’ve already passed block 5.” She looked around and they passed a building with a placard with block 4 written across it. They’d passed block 5 without her even realising.

“You could’ve told me,” she said, but smiled before he could hopefully take it too seriously, and he appeared to catch on, as he made no attempt to explain why he didn’t tell her. “Thanks for letting me know about this, I would’ve gotten completely lost in San Francisco otherwise.”

“If you would like to see the city, I am available later and I could show you the city.”

“Really? That would be really nice. Thank you.”

“Where should we meet?”

“Outside block 10, if that’s okay. What time, since you’ll be the busier of the two of us?”

“Would five o’clock be acceptable?”

“It would, yes.”

“I will meet you then. Have a good day.”

“You too.” And they departed. She turned and walked back to block 5, thinking about this. He seemed so different, and she knew she kept repeating that word in her head when thinking about him, but she didn’t know what else would fit. If he was somebody else, she knew it would be a date, but he’s not like anybody else; his vulcan side probably things nothing of it other than showing a stranger around so they don’t get lost in the future, which she appreciated. So she decided that she would treat it such, to not over think anything.

# # # # # #

She washed her face in the sink in the bathroom. She decided not to change, but made sure she freshened up before meeting with Spock.

After she had picked up the shopping from earlier that day, she had been milling around, drawing, watching TV. Jim stayed there, being far too hungover still to do much on his own, so Leo helped him out, making him lunch and all that. But now, both were exhausted and had crashed and burned; her brother had went to lay down, but had fallen asleep over an hour ago, and Jim lay on the couch, barely keeping his eyes open.

When she entered the main room, she saw he was still awake, but only just.

“You look nice,” he called, not moving. She could here in his voice just how much he needed sleep, and she chuckled

“I’m wearing my lazy day clothes, but thank you anyway. I'm heading out, tell Leo when he wakes.” Jim nodded, giving some sort of oral response, but it was far too muffled to make out, so she just waved it off. She went back and grabbed a blanket from the end of her bed, and by the time she returned, Jim was asleep, mouth open and quietly snoring. Draping the blanket across him, she headed out, down the stairs and found the Commander waiting for her. He had changed, now wearing casual clothes.

“Good evening,” he said as she walked towards him.

“It seems far too nice out for it to be evening Commander.”

“Please, call me Spock.”

“Okay then, Spock, should we get going?”

He nodded and they began walking, Ashley just following his movement. They fell into a peaceful rhythm, side by side, and she liked that this didn’t feel too uncomfortable, especially considering the only reason she spoke to him that first time was because of an uncomfortable silence. After a while, despite the comfortable air between them, she asked where they were going.

“I will show you the city, and there is a coffee shop in San Francisco that I thing you will find agreeable.”

“What makes you think that I’ll find it agreeable?”

“It is a quiet, with few people knowing of it, and sells coffee at a standard price. It is owned by a family, with both parents and their two children working there, with the additional staff.”

“You think I prefer the quieter places, as opposed to the louder, more commercial places?”

“If I’ve misjudged you, and there is a more suitable place that-”

“Spock,” she said, stopping him mid sentence, and he stopped without protest and waited for her to continue, “It’s fine...you’re assumption was right, don’t worry.”

“I was not worrying.” She chuckled. She knew he wasn’t worried, that he doesn’t get worried, but still his tone changed, so maybe that meant something. She wondered what it was like, to just be able to not feel anything, no pain or anger, but no joy or love...There were definitely times, she thought, when she had wished to feel nothing at all, but there were the lows. When she smiled and laughed and loved, she wouldn’t trade it for anythings. Knowing of the prejudice he’d faced, she wasn’t sure if asking was appropriate, but she also knew the only people to be offended would be herself. He wasn’t fragile, but she still didn’t want to hurt him.

“Something is troubling you,” Spock said, snapping her out of her head and back to the real world, walking with him, “What is it?” She appreciated how blunt he always was, so she decided to talk, as if she owed him something for his straightforward mind.

“Nothing bad, just wondering...what is it like to not feel?” She looked up at him, his expression still never giving her anything to go off, “You don’t have to answer.”

“I do not mind answering, however, I am unsure how I would best describe it.”

“Can you try?” She was asking a lot of him, but she had a feeling that if he didn’t want to answer, he wouldn’t. Thought, maybe not wanting to answer something was an emotional response. She didn’t let herself get caught up in a mental cycle of someone else’s emotions, and his voice brought her back again.

“When you look at objects from your childhood, do you feel the emotions carrier with them? You smile thinking about times when you were younger, do you not?” She nodded her head, “I do not. I see an object from when I was younger, and I can remember times, but I don’t smile. I have no sentimental attachment to objects from my childhood. I would have no difficulty disposing of these items, whereas humans, I have found, often do.”

“We tend to get attached to things to help keep us connected to our emotions.”

“I feel no such need to do so.” She nodded her head again. She wasn’t able to imagine remembering something without any feelings attached, but she didn’t need to really, she tooks his words and stored them away for thinking about later, when she had time to herself; she always found she understood things like this much better when she was drifting to sleep. She had no way to respond.

She was rather inquisitive, he thought, but she seemed so genuine, like she did just want to know and understand, and he’d known so many people to interrogate him in such a vicious way to know what it was like for him, so her kindness was accepted.

“So,” she said, rather randomly, and he turned to look at her, “This coffee shop, how’d you know about it? You said not many people do, and you don’t strike me as someone who’d venture out and explore the city on your own.”

“When my mother was last here, we visited the city together and we found the coffee house then.”

“She like coffee?”

“Greatly, and she had dearly missed it since she has on Vulcan.”

“I take it then that it’s your mother that’s human?”

“Indeed, and my father, Sarek, is ambassador to Earth. They live on Vulcan for my father’s work.”

“They must be very proud of you.”

“My mother, yes, and as my father is Vulcan, he does not experience pride.”

“If he did, he would.”

Spock nodded his head twice, slowly, almost sad, Ashley thought. People are proud of him, she thought, she knew that, and even if his father didn’t feel it, she knew that Sarek must be proud.


End file.
